Sonnenberg champion Wes Gifford left a legacy

Sunday

Sep 15, 2013 at 12:08 PMSep 16, 2013 at 11:11 AM

By Julie Sherwood

jsherwood@messengerpostmedia.com

In his memoirs, Wes Gifford describes his reaction decades ago to Sonnenberg Gardens in Canandaigua — long before the historic property was resurrected from disrepair and rose to its current stature — as one of the nation's most extensively preserved, Victorian-era country estates.

"When I first entered the architectural remnants of what were once the incredibly beautiful and historic gardens of Sonnenberg, I was struck by the almost mirror-like images of the greatest gardens of Europe …” Mr. Gifford wrote, speaking from his experience traveling in Europe, in a pre-publication draft of his book on Sonnenberg. “I immediately recognized that this was indeed an endeavor worth undertaking. Here, with the aid of strong will and good fortune, was an opportunity placed before us to save a great work of art from being lost forever. Restoring it to its rightful place in the universe of great landscape architecture was, and still is, the legacy and the challenge of the great estate called Sonnenberg."

Mr. Gifford, who died Sept. 8 at 76, led the charge in the late 1960s of saving Sonnenberg.

“He was the driving force,” said Stephen Hamlin, a close friend of Mr. Gifford and among those involved in restoring and preserving the estate.

Mr. Gifford, described by friends as a man of intelligence, wit and determination, led a citizens’ movement in 1966 to purchase, preserve and restore a 50-acre portion of the original estate and gardens. It involved the federal government turning over the property through an act of Congress, Hamlin said.

In 1972, a formal bill was signed into law, transferring the estate to a not-for-profit organization. “Without him it never would have happened,” said Hamlin.

Mr. Gifford “had tremendous energy and a wonderful imagination for what could be,” said Tarry Shipley, who was involved as well in the early days of Sonnenberg’s resurrection by a not-for-profit. A visionary, Mr. Gifford brought Sonnenberg into the public eye and rallied people behind the cause, Shipley said, making possible what Sonnenberg is today “as one of the cornerstones of the community and who we are.”

A 1954 graduate of Canandaigua Academy, Wes Gifford earned his law degree from Columbia University and was a practicing attorney in Canandaigua for many years. He was well known for his writing, which included several books that reflected his interests and personality. Take, for example, a 304-page paperback published in 2004 called “Curmudgeon's Cookbook: Recipes, Hints & Advice for Brides, Single Men, Geezers, & Old Bats.”

Mr. Gifford was also known for his columns that appeared regularly for years in the Daily Messenger. His last column was published Aug. 20, titled “Lone Ranger must have been Republican.”

“I got to know Wes when I oversaw the editorial pages and he began submitting guest essays,” recalled Kevin Frisch, former managing editor and columnist for the Messenger. “We shared his pieces regularly, and the section was the better for them. He offered a sometimes-wicked sense of humor, a deep knowledge of the community and an interest in politics – and sometimes managed to show off all three in a single essay.”

Mr. Gifford’s interest in his community encompassed Canandaigua and well beyond to cover national and international affairs, friends say.

“He had an undying interest in politics,” recalled Hank Shepard. The two of them enjoyed getting together in a group that met regularly over drinks at local establishments to banter about world affairs, Shepard said. Keeping up on Syracuse football and basketball was also a favorite pastime, said Shepard.

Hamlin said his most colorful memories go back to the late 1950s, when he, Mr. Gifford and others participated in a community theater group called Canandaigua Productions.

Mr. Gifford often played lead roles, including Finian in a rendition of the Broadway hit musical “Finian's Rainbow” and the Lord High Executioner in a spin-off of Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic opera “The Mikado.”

At a reunion for Canandaigua Productions about 10 years ago, Mr. Gifford could rattle off his lines from performances of that bygone era, recalled Hamlin.

“Wes brought joy to many,” he said. “He was a unique character — who left us a legacy.”